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More Than 60 People Charged With Looting, Robbery, Assault On Officer During George Floyd Protests

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) - County prosecutors Wednesday announced looting and other criminal charges against 61 people during protests held in Los Angeles over the death of George Floyd.

Los Angeles County District Attorney Jackie Lacey said while the majority of charges filed over the past two days have been for looting, other charges include assault and/or battery upon a peace officer, robbery, burglary, possession of a destructive device, identity theft and receiving stolen property.

In downtown Los Angeles, 11 people were charged with felonies, including looting, robbery and assault upon a peace officer. Seventeen more were charged at the Airport Branch Court, which covers Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, and other western portions of L.A. County.

The charges include felony looting, burglary and identity theft as well as misdemeanor looting and burglary.

In Compton, 15 people were charged with felony looting, fleeing a pursuing peace officer's vehicle or attempted looting, while three more were charged with felony looting in Long Beach.

TOPSHOT-US-POLICE-POLITICS-CRIME-RACE-DEMONSTRATION
A suspected looter carrying boxes of shoes run past National Guard soldiers in Hollywood, California, June 1, 2020, after a demonstration over the death of George Floyd. - Major US cities -- convulsed by protests, clashes with police and looting since the death in Minneapolis police custody of George Floyd a week ago -- braced Monday for another night of unrest. More than 40 cities have imposed curfews after consecutive nights of tension that included looting and the trashing of parked cars. (Photo by Robyn Beck / AFP) (Photo by ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images)

Another five people were charged with felony looting in Van Nuys, six others in Norwalk and three with attempted looting in Torrance.

Felony looting carries a possible maximum sentence of three years in county jail.

A 15-year-old youth has also been charged in juvenile court with assault upon a peace officer, Lacey said.

The district attorney acknowledged some of the cases qualified for zero bail due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Others may still require bail under the countywide state of emergency, according to Lacey's office.

"I support the peaceful organized protests that already have brought needed attention to racial inequality throughout our society, including in the criminal justice system," said Lacey. "I also have a constitutional and ethical duty to protect the public and prosecute people who loot and vandalize our community."

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